Have you ever wished for a safer, better way to take vaccines instead of using needles? Scientists in Berlin might have an answer.
To make it safer, they have improved a nasal (or nose-based) vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.
What Makes This Vaccine Special?
The special thing about this vaccine is that it’s a live vaccine.
That means it contains a version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that’s been changed so it can’t make you sick, but it can still enter your body’s cells. This then triggers your immune system to fight off the virus.
These types of vaccines are powerful, but safety is critical. The original form of the vaccine could spread between animals in a lab if they were in close contact.
But now, the researchers have changed the vaccine again to stop this from happening.
How Does the New Version Work?
The new version of the vaccine has a specific change in the spike protein of the virus. This stops it from spreading from person to person, but it doesn’t affect how well the vaccine works.
Dr. Jakob Trimpert, a veterinarian and group leader at the Institute of Virology at Freie Universität Berlin, says that this non-spreadable vaccine could stop the accidental spread of the vaccine in a population.
What Does This Mean for Us?
This means that the vaccine should be safer to use in humans. If you get vaccinated, you won’t be able to pass the vaccine on to someone else, even if you’re really close to them.
What’s Next?
Scientists have shown in several studies that the vaccine is safe and works well. Now they’re getting ready to test it on people. They’re working with a Swiss company called Rocketvax AG to do this.
Dr. Vladimir Cmiljanovic, the CEO of RocketVax, said that the new vaccine version is a big step forward for safety.
He said it “brings us closer to the successful introduction of this live-attenuated vaccine in upcoming clinical trials and gives us hope for comprehensive protection against COVID-19.”
So, the future might hold a new, safer way to get vaccinated against COVID-19 – and all you’ll need to do is breathe in!
If you care about COVID, please read studies that lung damage may persist long after COVID-19 infection, and doctors explain the mystery of long COVID.
For more information about COVID, please see recent studies that many people with long COVID get memory problems, and results showing this drug may relieve painful ‘long covid’ symptoms.
The study was published in Molecular Therapy.
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